In its 11th annual new-home customer-satisfaction survey, J.D. Power & Associates said Centex ranked No. 1 among nine rated house and condominium developers in central Ohio. In the first year it conducted studies on quality and design, Centex also topped the others.

In a bit of interesting timing, Centex is making plans to leave the Columbus market.

J.D. Power said it ranks builders in 34 national markets. Its rankings are based on responses from 50,401 home buyers who have lived in their homes for four to 18 months.

The builders in Columbus listed in the study had to have closed 150 or more homes in 2006 in Franklin and surrounding counties. J.D. Power said the local results were based on 720 responses.

In them, customers said they were most satisfied with Centex Homes in a variety of categories ranging from price and warranty terms to the performance of their construction manager.